THE MATERIALS

The hand-woven cotton is first dyed in Indigo before being decorated using the Bogolan mud dyeing technique - a craft tradition once widespread, but increasingly rare today.

Following the Indigo dyeing, the cloth is sun-dried and a plant based mordant is carefully applied along the lines of the motif. The cloth is then covered in mud dredged from the river Niger. When the cloth is washed, in the areas where the mud combined with the mordant, the beautiful markings magically remain.

THE DESIGNER

Rebecca Hoyes is a London based textile designer and colourist who travels around the world collaborating with artisans and craft communities. Her sustainable approach merges the traditional techniques with contemporary designs.

THE IMPACT

Boubacar Doumbia established NDOMO in Segou, Mali, in order to keep the traditional mud dying technique of Bogolan alive. The social enterprise also provides much needed employment for young people who have not had the opportunity to study or attend school.